Following Footsteps
by S. R. Singh
Summary: Stephen J. Bartowski left a job for Chuck. Will Sarah, Casey and...Morgan join him on this quest? Are they still official agents or is this the beginning of a new story? *Summary sucks. just take a look. you won't regret it...Probably*


_**A little one-shot that could spin off into its own series or maybe a two-shot. A post-ep fic on Team Bartowski moving on.**_

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The drive to Encino was quiet. Morgan was fidgeting in the front seat, thoroughly annoying Casey. Sarah was gazing at Chuck as he stared into his lap. Their hands tightly intertwined. Sarah thought about what had happened when the impromptu wake for Stephen J. Bartowski was held.

_Chuck returned to the table and Sarah instantly detected he was troubled with something. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, a small pout in his lips and his eyes were tight. She'd picked up on this a lot recently. She'd noticed it when he lied to her about the Doctor's assessment but she had foolishly ignored it. Not anymore. She'd made that mistake once. She would not let him carry this burden alone. So when Casey took Alex home with an eager Morgan in tow and Ellie and Devon had retired home with Devon caressing his wife comfortingly, Sarah confronted him._

_"What's up Chuck?" she asked putting her hand over his as he collected the dishes._

_"Huh?" he looked up at her._

_"I know that face. What's wrong? Please don't lie." Chuck sighed._

_"My dad...he sent me something. A video will. It was...complicated. I have to go to Encino tonight. I need to understand it."_

_"Ok...do you want me to come with you?"_

_"Not this time. I need to do this one alone...at first at least."_

_"Go." She said kissing him gently._

_"I'll be back soon." She smiled and nodded. Chuck hurried out. _

He'd arrived home a few hours later. He was surprised to see her up. She was surprised to see he looked more conflicted than ever.

_"What happened?"_

_"My dad...he was a spy."_

_"What?"_

_"For the last 20 years. My dad has been working for himself. He's been doing what we have but more. He's doing stuff that the government won't do. And the two things he's been focusing on lately...putting a stop to another rogue sanction called The Fornax Group, he's gathered information on something they call Operation Cygnus. The group that created the Intersect. These are the dropouts. The cuts. They want to build their own intersect and profit from it. They contract mercenaries and such and Dad's been fighting them since he vanished."_

_"And the second thing?"_

_"Finding my mother. Mary Elizabeth Bartowski."

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His mother. Former CIA agent assigned to protect Orion. He was the asset and she was the handler. A 70's Chuck and Sarah. She quit the CIA and had his children. Years later a new threat arose and she had to leave her family behind to protect them. Sarah hoped that day would never come for her. She had already handed in a Notice of Absence and she told Beckman that she was considering resigning.

_"I understand Agent Walker. I do. Your leave is granted for the next...three months. During this time I expect your decision on resignation. There is no turning back Sarah. Should you choose to quit the agency. You'll need to change all your records. You cannot be Sarah Walker."_

_"I understand General. I can assure you that my decision will be on your desk by the end of the week." Beckman nodded and vanished. Sarah sighed. She knew what she was leaning to. But she needed this week to see if it was right.

* * *

_

Casey had been briefed that morning and answered with a grunt.

_"We knew."_

_"What?"Chuck and Sarah asked in unison. _

_"Stephen J. Bartowski has been in the private sector for years. His work is a well-kept secret. When he struck. He struck hard. Operation Goliath. He put a stop to that."_

_"What? We always thought it was an NSA job." Sarah said in surprise._

_"That's what we briefed the rest of you. Operation Macedon. Orion. Operation Achilles. Orion. Brunson Systems Takedown. Orion. Honeywell Enterprises, that subsidiary of Fulcrum. Selling our weapons and designs to Iraq. Orion took them down."_

_"You have to be kidding me. All those jobs. We were briefed by Graham himself that they were NSA, CIA and ATF jobs."_

_"All Orion. Graham, Beckman and Singh did the cover-ups."_

_"Singh...? The new Director?"_

_"Who else would take over when Graham died. He's been our secondary handler."_

_"Where was he when all this shit went down?"_

_"He got attacked in his home numb nuts. They came after his family to silence him. He's always been backing us. SecDef wouldn't let him pull Shaw from our project when he first came in."_

_"Why have we had no contact with him?"_

_"He got the job from a dead man. Do you know the clean-up that requires?"_

_"Whatever. The point is...I'm going private. I'm going to pick up where my Dad left off. Take down The Fornax Group and find my Mom."_

_"Then you're going to need muscle."_

_"He has me."_

_"You think I'm leaving you two unwatched? My new assignment. Private Protection detail for the Intersect Agent and backup. They know you're going on missions. They want me there."_

_"Then Operation Bartowski remains intact."_

And Morgan? Morgan had no Agency Affiliation. He went where Chuck went. They pulled to a stop outside Chuck's old house.

"Man I miss this place. We used to do some crazy stuff back here." Morgan sighed.

"Morgan...we stayed up past midnight playing video games and eating junk food. That's basically what we do now..."

"But we were younger than Charles. Much younger." Morgan said.

"It's a really nice place Chuck." Sarah said. And she wasn't lying. This had been the Bartowski home for 3 generations, the only reason they moved to Echo Park was because the house was in Dad's name and they couldn't afford to pay the bills for such a large house. They walked up the sloping lawn and approached the Heavy Oak door.

"Dad left me the house in his will. He's given Ellie his government compensation package to get her own place." Chuck said to Sarah softly who nodded. They approached the study, Chuck flipped the switch in the correct sequence and the others stare as the fireplace slid back into the wall and a tile moved backward to reveal a staircase.

* * *

Casey and Sarah awed over the works of Stephen J. Bartowski. Casey went into his armoury and started drooling. Sarah glanced at case boxes and was increasingly more and more impressed. Morgan stood with Chuck before an Orion computer screen. On the desk was the necklace he had broken so many years ago and on a pedestal beside it was the box marked MARY ELIZABETH BARTOWSKI: MISSING.

"This is what I'm going to do. I'm taking over for Dad."

"I'm with you." Sarah said squeezing his hand.

"So am I buddy." Morgan said.

"Semper Fidelis." Casey grunted.

"Always faithful." Came a voice from behind them. They all turned at once, Sarah and Casey drawing their guns, Chuck went into a martial arts stance and Morgan pulled...The Morgan. The speakers was a tall man in a well-tailored black suit. His brown eyes glimmered. As he walked forward hands in his pockets.

"Director Sam Singh. I'm here to talk to you about taking Team Bartowski into the Private Sector."

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**To be honest, I heavily toyed with the Director saying "I'm here to talk to you about the Avenger Initiative." but it wouldn't make sense. But imagine the aura Samuel L. Jackson emits as Nick Fury telling Tony Stark what's what when the Director meets Team Bartowski. _Chuck_ us a review and I'll speak kiwi for you. Kia Ora bro.**


End file.
